


Welcome Home

by Iammissingautumn



Category: Bandstand - Oberacker/Oberacker & Taylor
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-12 20:38:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15348255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iammissingautumn/pseuds/Iammissingautumn
Summary: Julia Trojan does her best for her friends.





	Welcome Home

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this since the seventh and fuck I enjoyed this so much. It was so nice to be able to write so many different characters, all with different problems and perspective. I hope you enjoy, trigger warning for death, descriptions of breaking up, war, trauma, and mild alcoholism. Sorry if I missed anything!

In reality, Julia never meant to get to know everyone so well, but she would never take it back. Not for a moment. She didn't understand what they went through at first, she still didn't; at least not fully. But they told her, told her so much that all she could do was listen and try to help. sometimes all she could do was try.

Julia didn't expect it when Johnny first told. She had just met him, high off the performance and taking in the other band members and who they are. She had assumed Johnny was gonna make a joke, everyone did; yet he was so polite about it. He just wanted to remember her, he explained what happened without her saying a word. Explaining how he was in a jeep and rolled over one, two, three times, he found it hard to remember regular things but he remembered a tune after hearing it in one go. He even did complex math in seconds. Yet he forgot everyday stuff, found it hard to remember what he just talked about and the time he spends away from music. Julia listened as he told her it, it wasn't what she expected but already she wanted to get to know him more.

When it happened again Julia was slightly confused, though quickly remembered Jimmy telling her it could happen. She sat and listened to his story of the jeep, listening as he talked, the more he told of the story the more she could tell how little he really remembered. The thought hurt her more often than not. He told her over and over but she never turned away, if he wanted someone to listen she would do it. If he wanted to celebrate something small with her then she would do it. Johnny always happy about the smallest things. the happiness already felt contagious.

 _Johnny made it home,_  
_Most of him at least,_  
_Had three operations but the pain has not decreased._

Julia learned about Nick through Wayne, her mom made food for them. Though she suspected it was her just trying to get Julia out of the house she enjoyed the first day. It was strange at first, they had a dynamic where she had to find her place in. She respected what she should and shouldn't do, no getting into Wayne's bubbled, refrain from talking too much about the war, and try not to make a mess.

Nick, Wayne, and Julia had hung out and talked about music, she was a bit surprised at how well they knew each other. They had this chemistry she couldn't describe; they worked seamlessly together, it was charming how natural they acted at home.

It was a night Julia got too overwhelmed with being in her home with only her mom, she showed up and Wayne looked surprised but not disturbed. She didn't think he was asleep before she came. She started to explain but he stood there not moving, so she apologized for bothering them. Julia turned to leave but he grabbed for her wrist telling her to stay. It was surprising but she knew he wouldn't do that if he didn't want her there. He offered tea but she shook her head, instead, they went to the guest room where he stayed.

"Nick is uh, he fell asleep and doesn't wake up easily. You doing okay Julia?" he asked, looking concerned. She shook her head once again, sitting on the bed. She had changed into some jeans, one of the few pairs she had.

"Everything feels crazy and before Michael died I was only with his friends so I didn't know where else to go and I just- everything feels so overwhelming and I can't go to Donny. As I said I probably shouldn't have come" she told, playing with her finger as she spoke.

"No no no, it's fine. I wouldn't be sleeping otherwise... uh, I'm sorry I'm not good at this. Should I tell you a story?" he asked then shaking his head, "Sorry you probably don't want to hear any, my brother used to like to heat them if he got bored or if he needed to calm down."

"Actually that sounds really nice," she told smiling, bringing her legs up onto the bed and crossing them.

"It might be more me just talking about old things. When I was living with other soldiers they always messed around just like Donny and Davy do. It always got on my nerves and I had to pick up after everyone that didn't try. Though one of them left me notes in clothes or where ever I cleaned up. Usually, it was nice things and I knew who it was. Well at least I suspected someone at the time but I was right. It was one of the louder ones, liked to try and drag me into jokes but he was a real softy. Maybe he liked to brighten people's days or maybe he was just some dude trying to be nice to me. I usually cleaned to move around, it let me focus on the things and not what happened outside of the tents" he told sitting on the bed, his legs crossed like Julia as he described the memory. A faint smile on his face, though Julia had a bright smile all the way through.

"Eventually he got transferred and we were separated but if I tried hard enough I bet I could find him. Uh let's see, when I and Nick were in high school he enjoyed pulling pranks. But one time in our senior year and we were still working. He complained and complained till I made a comment about doing something about it. So he found out how to make the loudest obnoxious noise every time in this warm-up song we did. The song was about two minutes long so he found the most repetitive part and made the noise every time. So last day of school comes up and we do the song, about thirty seconds into it and it hits the part. He des the noise, but not only him and the whole section did it. The song fell apart and everyone was laughing, and our director was so pissed. I swear if it wasn't the last day we would of all got detention." He told smiling and giggling as he spoke. It was a fond memory but Nick never talked about that stuff so he didn't get to visit it much. But Wayne wanted to get Nick back to being like that, the things he used to do in school were usually funny so by the time he met Nick post-war he almost felt like a stranger.

"You're telling me you went to school with Nick? And he played pranks?" Julia asked smiling wide, she loved the idea of it. Though found it hard to think of a little Nick running around and pulling pranks on his peers.

"Oh yeah, he was the jokester when we were kids, I tutored him for awhile because he didn't do great in math and I used to love it. He usually distracted me like hell, tease me all the time and such. On a good day, when it's just us here, he still does. It was almost annoying when I was a kid but it was fun. He usually let me in on his antics and sometimes I got to help. By junior year we were best friends, I helped him out with a lot and my parents and teachers said he was a bad influence but I wouldn't take any of it back. When we got out of school we talked a bit less but were still... friends. I then accidentally got my then not wife pregnant and we got married because of her very religious family. Then I went to join the war after I heard about everything we could get from it, it was like it was too good to be true. I don't think I understood it at the time. Then I learned he was leaving too and so we wrote to each other. He wrote about the jokes he played on other, always trying to make others laugh with his antics if there was a chance. He did it less as we talked though, then one day he stopped writing back. I got sent a letter saying he was taken a prisoner of war. I got only a few updated and when they stopped I asked around about it and a week later I learned he was back. I still sent letters he just never wrote back and I got a letter, I asked about him again and apparently, he got sent home early. I think that's when he started teaching. I sent a letter to him when I got home, I didn't get one back so I didn't so I didn't try again. Then he told me about the band and we started doing it all over again. He likes to make comments on how much I've changed, 'your handwriting is neater' 'you're taller' and 'you never used to do that' type of thing" he told as Julia listened intently. This to him was such a bizarre experience, he didn't talk about the war much and it felt weird too. He didn't tell everything, he couldn't tell everything in such a small amount of time. But this did what he wanted, it was about him and Nick so yeah it was as much that was needed to be told.

"Wow, you two have known each other for a long time," she told almost wistfully. But she was happy they had known each other before this, she doubted Wayne would feel safe living with someone he just met.

"Yeah, it's a bit weird to think about. We're slowly getting back to how we were which is nice, he has a lot of trust issues now. But he's nice to me most the time. I think he's trying to not be constantly angry and try to trust me a bit more but I think it's hard when he saw what he did for those months. He hasn't told me everything but I've heard stories from others too. I do think he'll get better eventually. I think we all could be but he's a lot different than how he was, he can be so selfish sometimes I swear I don't know him. But he's trying, I can see it when he starts saying something and then backtracks or says sorry after saying something mean. He's trying." Wayne told it was a lot to put all of this trust into her. Julia had always been so sweet to him and everyone around him. So he thought it was well placed.

Eventually, their conversation slowed down, Julia got tired and thanked Wayne for talking to her. He walked her home and she was happy about hanging out with him. Just being able to talk to him was nice, no covered up happiness. Just talking to him.

After another late night session where Wayne fell asleep after they watched a movie, Nick and Julia ended up alone. So when it was time for Julia to leave Nick walked her home. They made small jokes and filled the silence with laughs. When it was time for him to walk back he stopped giving her a small smile.

"Hey before you go, I uh wanted to say thank you. You help both me and Wayne a lot and I- ... I trust you. So just thank you."

It was something small, very small. It wasn't revolutionary but it was a start. Which she was happy about, she was happy to be that person for him.

 _Nick learned to survive,_  
_Means you never trust,_  
_Once you see the worst in man,_  
_How do you adjust?_

Davy was probably one of the boys Julia had gotten closest with. He was always nice to her and knew how to make her laugh. She loved hanging out with him and watching him play. She had asked if he would stop drinking so much once but it wasn't as simple as that. So as they sat, waiting for their gig to start. The others setting up backstage.

"Do you think you could live without drinking? Like would you be able to normally do what you do now?" she asked, Davy at first gave a crooked smile that usually led to a joke. But he stopped himself and sighed instead.

"One day maybe, but all the noise is quieter with alcohol. I usually don't sleep on sober nights and I hear all these horrible stories of ghosts that follow people do I do what I can not to have those stories," Davy told, his voice much softer. Sometimes she forgot he had that in him, a soft voice that wasn't trying to make a joke or be brash, just trying to be honest.

"I just- I don't want you to be stuck. You don't ever have to talk what happened but you deserve better than being controlled by what happened," Julia told giving him a gentle smile. Davy opened his mouth to say something but Jimmy called for them to get back there. So instead they prepared for the performance. But she kept hoping he could do better.

 _Davy cracks a joke,_  
_Claims to be alright,_  
_Drinks of a fifth of vodka in his kitchen every night_

Wayne had invited her over, he wasn't gonna lie he liked the company. So he had her over for three hours. Intersecting with dinner which she insisted she help with. They ate and talked, about the next gig, new songs they work on, the music they like, it was just a hangout for the three of them.

After dinner, Nick went to his room. Weather to sleep or just to be alone Julia wasn't sure. But it seemed like routine as they said their good nights.

"So when do you get to see the kids next?" she asked sitting down on the couch.

"Tomorrow actually. I've been able to make a more flexible schedule that works for me and I've been slowly getting used to the unscheduled. Even if it's not completely safe, I'll make sure the twins are." Wayne told smiling, he was proud of himself. It took a lot out of him to be able to be okay with what he was now. Not all days were great but he did his best. Which felt a lot better then it did when he did nothing.

"Maybe we could get you off a schedule soon?" Julia asked a bit slyly. She turned to the kitchen, setting her elbows on the arm as she brought one of her legs up to the couch. Watching as he methodically cleaned the dishes he had insisted she not help with.

"Very funny Julie, but I think if I were to give that up it would be long away from now...plus I enjoy it. I like having a line to follow, I led people when I was out there but now I get to lead myself. It helps me work better, I'm more... productive." Wayne told his smile showing through as he spoke.

"Is time still a big problem?" She asked looking at the clock out of instinct. Five forty-two.

"I think I was already getting out of that one before I started trying, so it's not a big problem now. I'm slowly getting used to everything now though, I've been out of the military for long enough. And yes I'm doing better with Donny's musical surprises. Though it can get a bit overwhelming, it's more annoying than anything. Much better than how it used to be." He updated, already used to these questions. Never the same ones or in the same way but he expected it.

"I'm proud of you," she told smiling, he looked over his shoulder to her turning back and shaking his head.

"I'm not here to be mushy Julie," he told once again his smile prominent in his voice. Julia only giggled, she was always so entertained by how he liked to hide how much he cared. She never fell for it.

"Well, I am! You aren't mushy enough so I'll make you listen to me. And I really am, you're doing remarkably great. And this is your second time being able to see the kids recently and your adjusting remarkably well," she told beaming, as much as he wouldn't say it ht was happy she insisted on being like this to him. It gave him more motivation to try. And he needed that a lot, even if his life wasn't going to be like what it was before.

 _Wayne is never free,_  
_Schedules out his day,_  
_Filling every minute,_  
_Just to keep the ghosts away,_  
_He could never get,_  
Back _the life he had,_  
_Faced with raising kids,_  
_Who did not recognize their dad_

It had been a long day, the band performed at later than usual and had been working all day, overall Julia was ready to sleep for a week. But she decided on a snack before calling it a night, She was lost in the process of making a sandwich that she almost didn't hear the lite knocks on the front door. She walked over, opening it only to see a nervous looking Jimmy.

"Hey, what's up Jimmy?" she asked concern lacing her voice, as he tapped his foot quickly.

"May I come in?' he asked, his voice shaky. She nodded, moving to the side to let him in. He walked until he reached the living room.

"I'm sorry but is there any way we can talk in private?" he asked his foot continuing to tap against the ground, His shoe making a noise that seemed to follow him where ever he went.

"My mom's asleep right now- are you okay?" she stopped as she stared at him, concern spreading through her as he gave her a pleading look "yeah yeah, we can just go in my room and talk" he murmured a quiet thank you as he followed her to the room.

Jimmy sat down on the chair next to the window tapping his foot against the wood floor. As he fumbled to bring a cigarette out of his pocket. He looked to Julia as it hung from his lips, his eyes a bit wider.

"May I?" he asked as his cigarette bobbed as his mouth moved. She gave him a not to which he opened the window and lit the cig.

"What's wrong Jimmy?" she asked once again, concerned and confused as to why he showed up to her place without saying more than just a few words.

"I uh- listen please don't be mad about me telling you this. I love you a lot and don't want to lose you or anyone else over it but I just- I'm like-" he took a pause, taking a deep breath "I like other men, like _like_ other men" he stopped again seeming like he wanted to tell more but restrained himself.

"I'm sorry you were so worried about this all. But can I ask why now?" her voice was gentle and she was doing all she could to try and keep him comfortable. She didn't want to scare him.

"How did you get over Michael? Because I uh- I had a fella. And he- we had been attacked and we had been dating for awhile by then. I survived and he didn't and I thought I was getting better. Starting to be able to live on my own happiness and maybe find someone to be happy with but when it all happened it's not like I could save all my stuff on board and all I could think of was him. Anyway, I guess they had a few things that were mine and they mailed it to me. So I decided after a long day I'd clean it all out and find a place to put everything but I can't. I only have one picture of him and he gave me a band. Well, we gave each other bands but-... his is probably at the bottom of the ocean. The band I have it green it matched his eye perfectly and I put it on for a second and I just couldn't do it. I loved him so much and now you're the only one who knows what it's like," he told, rushing through some parts and coming to a stop at others. The words feeling like they were falling out of his mouth with little control of what order or where they went.

"I'm definitely not the only one, Donny lost him too," Julia told, watching him take another drag of his cigarette. His eyebrows pushed together, looking to her with confusion.

"Well, me Michael and Donny all are the same. We like boys and girls, and I and Michael have been pretty open about that. We were always very open relationship wise and he talked about Donny so much and so fondly that I assumed they started something. Donny hadn't confirmed it but the way he talks about Michael and the look on his face when he tells a story about him sells it to me. I've told Donny about me, and I assume Michael told him it didn't bother me but he just doesn't talk about it," she continued, a faint smile growing on her face as she remembered the letters she got. The first photo she got of them where they had their arms around each other and were smiling as Michael had this look of just wanting to be closer to him.

"I didn't know that," he said a bit faintly, he had heard of those kinds of people before but most of them would stick with being with people of the opposite sex. 'Running away from the risk' as someone once described it to him. Though if he was like that he couldn't run away, not if he truly loved someone.

"Well, you never asked," she told a soft smile. She noticed how often Jimmy did that, not looking beyond what he assumed was fact.

"I- ... fair enough" he told, taking another drag from his cigarette. His legs folded, he really couldn't believe this was what he was doing tonight.

"Okay, so you came here to ask for advise or get comfort. I hope I did good with the comfort but if you really want advise just listen Love Will Come And Find Me Again. You know the lyrics right?" she asked, they made a whole song about this, she thought he could just turn to that.

"Once upon a time, I would wake aside a man who would make me feel like nothing could take him from me. Once I thought forever was real, I thought my life was ideal. I thought that nothing could steal it from me" he had taken his cigarette and held it outside the window as he sang.

"So you do listen! it's what I did and it took awhile but it works. And the line it 'I thought that nothing could steal it you see' but both work" she told watching as he took another drag, the tapping of his foot becoming a bit more frequent.

"No, I avoid the lyrics as much as I can. It reminds me of him too much and I just play my part so it's louder to me then your singing is" he told, "but I haven't been able to get that first verse out of my head,"

"The next verse it says I gave up on the chance of falling in love again, And in the next, it says I was stuck in this loop, I wasn't helping myself and it was bad for me for a long time. I was just a ghost in a shell as I gave up on it all. You get in this phase where you try to pretend it never happened or that it was a joke. I missed a lot of my life stuck like that. Barely living, constantly thinking about what if he came back. A whole year of my life was taken from me and I don't remember much about it besides moving out of my old place and distant pain I only truly remember when I'm going through a lapse of moving on. And it ends with possibly the only thing that allows me to think of dating others. Letting go with what might have been and letting something else in, only then will love come and find me again. Jimmy, you have to find peace with him being gone, maybe not right away and it doesn't have to be something you keep your mind on. Just let yourself think of being with other people, the idea is all that needs to be accepted at first," she explained, hoping this helped. But watching how he acted so much better then she had when she was in the same place. He's only four months out and he's already so far, sure she knew he would have a lot of problems. But she believed he could do it.

"What if it gets this bad a lot? Where I'm just crying and wanting to do anything to see him again? I don't know if I can move on if that happens often" he seemed so desperate to find the answer she swore she could see so much of herself in that face he made. Complete confusion and pain and anxiety for what comes next.

"You can, I still have lapses in how I feel, but Donny helps. You all help. You get people who can help- I can help. I'm sure we aren't the only ones who have lost someone. We can do it, you're already so strong. It will happen, love will come and find you again and I'll tell you 'I told so' when it happens" she told smiling. he took one last drag before putting it out. Dropping his cigarette in the small trash can that sat next to him. He shook his heads at her words, letting his smile come through as he stood up.

"Hey uh, I'm sorry for bothering you about all this. But thanks, you helped a lot. And um-"

"I love you too Jimmy, but we've been working all day and I say this in the nicest way. You look horribly tired, go get some sleep. Do you think you'll be fine with yourself?" She asked, she could tell how he walked a bit slower, his words falling out his mouth instead of with precision and thought, he was tired. Julia stood up off of the end of her bed.

"Yeah... yeah, I'll be okay. Thank you, Julia. I'll uh, I-I think I'll be fine." He told smoothing his shirt. Julia smiled as he stood, she walked over to him giving him a hug. Becoming very aware of how tall he was but happy to give him comfort. And he thought maybe he was right, it had only been a few months ago. He had time to heal, he had his friends. So maybe he would be okay, maybe.

 _Jimmy made it back to town for months ago,_  
_Lives to tell the things,_  
_No one can know,_  
_Keeps his guard up now,_  
_A lot goes undiscussed,_  
_Focuses what he finds unjust_

Donny had told her everything. Told her how Michael died. Told her how he did it. And she felt broken. Her ma said so much to her but this had been the second day she avoided them all. She spent so much time getting over him, it wasn't that it felt like all her progress was lost. But she felt like everything she put trust into was stomped on. She made a promise, and if it wasn't for Donny, it was for all of them. Everything she had learned about Donny, everything she came to care about. She couldn't throw it away, what matters when things happen is what happens after. So she did what she did best. Walked over to her nightstand and grabbed the half-filled notebook. Julia sat on her bed and wrote.

 _Donny does his best trying to pretend,_  
_What he doesn't talk about won't matter in the end,_  
_Donny made it home but thinks it wasn't fair,_  
_How he made it out but left his buddy there,_  
_Donny doesn't sleep because the nightmares come,_  
_Donny wants an answer,_  
_Donny looks for absolution,_  
_And I would give him ANYTHING if I could give him some_

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Kudos appreciated and comments are loved and preferred. Thank you for taking the time to read this!


End file.
